Mike Muscala wanted a little time to make a decision.
He had no such option. When the NBA calls — even from a half a world away — you answer immediately. The second-round draft pick got an official invitation in February to join the Hawks at midseason and start his NBA career. After playing 20 games in Spain’s ACB League a dream was about to come true.
Playing professionally for Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro, Muscala watched from afar as one Hawks center after another went down to injury. There were initial conversations followed by contract negotiations. Then one last long-distance phone call came.
“One night my agent said, ‘This is it. Do you want to do it?’ I said, ‘Can I sleep on it?’ He was like, ‘No. You have to decide now. You can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Let’s do it then.’ Essentially I was packing up the next day.”
One year ago, Muscala was like so many current hopefuls as he prepared for the NBA draft. Today, he is preparing for what he hopes is a long and productive NBA career. In between, it was quite a journey.
Muscala, 6-foot-11, worked out twice for the Hawks before last year’s draft, part of a cross-country trek of nearly 20 such sessions. The Hawks selected Muscala with the 44th overall selection out of Bucknell last June.
He played for the Hawks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League the following month. He had an idea that his career would start overseas after a conversation with Hawks management. However, there was disappointment when his agent called with several overseas options, including Spain and Germany.
“It was disappointing,” Muscala said. “To be honest, I thought I would be drafted higher. I thought I deserved to be playing in the NBA right away. But hey, stuff happens. I wasn’t about to pout about it. I just got working hard.
“I remember leaving (summer league) kind of upset because I wanted to play here obviously. I understood. It’s a long process for a career.”
Muscala chose Obradoiro in part because Robbie Hummel, now with the Timberwolves, played for the team the previous season. It also meant playing in a quality league with one game a week that left plenty of time to get stronger and work on his game. It was also a plus that Muscala speaks Spanish. So off he went. He and his best friend and now-manager made the trip and settled in. Muscala was provided a car and a place to live. He went to his first practice the day he arrived. There was a month of two-a-day training-camp practices.
Basketball was now his job.
In a typical week, Muscala would play a game on Saturday, be off Sunday, have two practices each Monday and Tuesday and then one practice each day the rest of the week before another weekend game. There was business-related travel, with the longest trip being a four-hour flight for a game on the Canary Islands.
There was some sight-seeing, but only during breaks in the schedule. His days were filled with basketball, and being a tourist was not what this experience was about. However, he did get to see cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. And there was plenty of good food to enjoy.
There were notable experiences, like playing one road game in a converted bull-fighting arena that was so cold he could see his breath and players dressed in sweat pants and shirts for practice.
Muscala looks fondly on this time in Spain.
“That was a valuable time for me,” Muscala said. “I think I got a lot better when I was there. The competition was really good, really physical. Experienced players there, pretty good players. I think I had a good coaching staff there that helped me a lot. And we were playing a lot. We practiced a lot. We scrimmaged a lot. A lot of time on the court. Really intense games once a week. Really packed crowds that were always yelling. Loud gyms with banging drums, which was new to me. It was a good high-pressure environment. It’s serious over there to because if you are in the bottom two (in the final standings) you get relegated (to a lower division). They don’t want to do that.”
Muscala also watched Hawks games from afar. He saw one big man after another go down to injury — first Al Horford, then Gustavo Ayon and finally Pero Antic. Elton Brand was the only healthy center when signing Muscala became an option.
“Our season, at that point, it was a bumpy ride with all the injuries we had,” Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said. “Mike was playing very well overseas. I thought bringing him over now would give us information and get him experience as we move forward. We are all pretty pleased having made that decision and having him here and understanding who he is in an NBA setting.”
Muscala averaged 14.6 points (seventh in the league) on 54.6 percent shooting and a league-high 7.8 rebounds in 26.3 minutes.
Following the life-changing phone call, he made a quick visit to say goodbye to his Spanish coaches and teammates. He played one game with the team amid the NBA talk and wasn’t sure who knew about the possibility that he would leave. He boarded a flight to the United States, a trip delayed when he missed a connecting flight in Madrid.
The Hawks played host to the Bulls on the night he arrived in Atlanta, and he was sneaked into the arena. He signed and was cleared several days later and joined the team on a lengthy road trip.
He made his debut against the Suns. He played 20 games with the Hawks and averaged 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.7 minutes. He had a season-high 15 points in the regular-season finale against the Bucks.
Following the season, Muscala returned home to Minnesota for a three-week vacation. It was his longest break from basketball in memory. He returned to Atlanta and continues to work on his game with coaches and teammates. He has been present as several prospects have been in for their pre-draft workouts. He offers encouraging words as he speaks from experience.
It has been quite a journey to the NBA. It is far from complete.
“I always think about how the season would have been different if I would have finished the season in Spain.” Muscala said. “I’m glad I came over when I did. … I’m still working hard this summer. I still have a lot of goals. I don’t what to be known as someone who just made it to the NBA then he didn’t play or didn’t do well. I think I can be a good player in this league.”
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